


Clint Makes The Smart Choice

by Imjustonegal66



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Fuck Wanda, Kate Bishopr everyone, Nat does the smart thing, Other, Slight mind-rape allusions, Still Cloak and Dagger, except Clint does the smart thing and thinks about it, fuck Wanda to Hela and back, no, not team Cap friendly, seriously, why the fuck did he just drop everything?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-26
Updated: 2020-10-10
Packaged: 2021-03-03 03:42:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 12,225
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24388381
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Imjustonegal66/pseuds/Imjustonegal66
Summary: What if Clint actually thought about his actions before going to join Cap in Civil War?
Relationships: Clint Barton/Laura Barton, Jessica Jones/Luke Cage, Nico Minoru/Karolina Dean, Peter Parker/Michelle Jones, Tandy Bowen/Tyrone Johnson, Tony Stark/Natasha Romanoff, Vanessa Carlysle/Wade Wilson
Comments: 36
Kudos: 198





	1. The Gathering

Clint tapped his feet, staring at the phone. Wilson had just called, saying that Cap needed help, something about super soldiers.

He knew just how much they’d fucked up. He refused to be near Wanda after Ultron. Tony had decided to get in contact with a friend of his, a mutant called Charles Xavier.   
Clint was grateful, beyond words.

Charles had explained that his mind still had tampering in it, signature that of Wanda and the Mind Stone.

He’d acted like a damned fool, threw a tantrum right in Xavier’s office like Cooper would. Eventually though, Xavier managed to remove every sign of mind meddling in Clint’s head, much to the relief of his family.

”Babe?” He called into the house. Laura soon appeared at the door. “Wilson just called, said Cap needs help, he said something about the Winter Soldier, and other soldiers?” She sat down next to him on the bench, looking at him thoughtfully. She had been concerned after Ultron, and when Nate had been born, they’d had a fight, which eventually ended in meeting Xavier.

Her husband had done marvellously, and they’d talked it out maturely. “I need your advice. They’re not telling me something here, and I’m not sure about it.”

He admitted, taking her hand. “I don’t want to leave you and the kids if I can help it, but I feel like I have to do something.” Laura bit her lip, looking over the farm. “Don’t trust Cap. I’m scared of that man, Clint.” Clint’s eyes snapped to hers, a deep anger settling in him. “Why? What did he do?”

Laura sighed. “During Ultron, he argued with Tony. To make his point, he ripped apart a log with his bare hands, practically threatening Tony with his eyes.” Clint hummed, twiddling his thumbs. “He’s not right, Clint.”

Nodding, Clint stood up. “Alright. I’ll get in touch with Tony, see what he knows, and let you know the final verdict. That alright Mrs Barton?” He twirled her about. She chuckled. “That’s fine with me, Mr Barton.”

”Hello?” Tony’s voice came through the receiver. “Tony.” Clint greeted. He hear shuffling before Tony answered him. “Ah, Clint. What can I do for you?” He sounded stressed, clipped. “Wilson called me, saying Cap needed my help. Do you know anything about supposed super soldiers running amok?”   
“What?” Tony sounded surprised, as if this was the first he’d heard of it. “Steve said nothing of the sort to me, since Lagos he ran off to join Barnes.”

Bucky Barnes. Since the Potomac SHIELDRA incident, he’d submitted himself into Tony’s care, and they’d slowly been working on the trigger words and memories Hydra had instilled in him. Clint was about 67% sure they had something going on, but it wasn’t his business. “So, what, he just wants to rescue his boyfriend, is that it? Do you mind if I come in?” Tony agreed with that. Since the mind meddling had been removed, Clint had apologised for how he’d treated the man, and had started to get to know new members of the team. “Yeah, sure. Are you bringing Kate?”

Kate Bishop. A runaway girl Clint had found on a mission a few months ago. He’d gotten her away from an abusive father, adopted her as one of hid own. Laura took to her immediately, as did Lila. The two girls got on like a house on fire, and the two loved being sisters. He was training them to be the next Hawks. “I’ll talk to Laura about bringing both of them, but she might object to Lila, and to be honest, I do too.”

”See you in a bit.” Tony disconnected. Clint pinched his forehead. “Fuck me.” He swore.

”What’s the verdict?” Laura asked. Clint grumbled, clutching his mission bag. “Steve’s gone rogue and Wilson has his head too far up his ass. I was thinking about taking Kate and Lila, but Lila’s too young, we agree on that. I don’t want Lila to feel left out though.”

Laura nodded. “Lila’s too young, Kate should be too. They’re our girls, Clint. Promise me, you’ll look after Kate when you two are out there?” Clint nodded, hugging her. “I promise I won’t let anything happen to her.”

He yelled up the stairs. “Kate!” The girl descended with Lila. “Yeah Dad?” 

“I’m taking you on a mission. Cap’s gone rogue.” Lila groaned. “Why not me?” As Kate whooped. Laura hugged her. “You’re too young, and Cap won’t hesitate in trying to break you. He’s a madman, and Kate’s nearly sixteen. She’ll stow away if you give her the chance, and you’re only ten.”

Kate grabbed her bow. “Alright. Let’s go lay the old man down.”

Tony had sent a jet to them, so they arrived as quick as possible.

On the landing strip, the rain hammered down as Tony walked up to them. Kate embraced him. “Uncle Tony.” He led them down a maze of halls in the Compound. “Things have changed since last time. We have quite a few new members, some of them kids. I’m keeping most of them out of combat, though I have a few who are ready and have fought stuff before. Most of them have been mindfucked in some way or other too, so you’ve got that in common.” Clint shuddered, Kate rubbing her dad’s back softly. “Now, Everett’s waiting for us.” Everett Ross, ex-Secretary Thaddeus Ross’ nephew. He’d helped put the inhumane bastard six feet in the ground after they found him experimenting on babies in the Raft. They blew the place to hell, and Clint still had nightmares about it. He’d cried the night they came back, choking sobs. It could’ve been Nate in there.

In the base, Clint and Kate hugged Nat. “Auntie Nat, how are you?” Nat quickly answered. “I’m good little archer. Let’s get down to meeting the others.”


	2. The New Team

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Clint and Kate meet the new team.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Getting more fics ready for your enjoyment, as well as planning some extra one-shots.

The new headquarters were big, though compared to the tower did seem small. Kate and Clint took a long look at the sleeker, white walls of the Compound. “One hell of an upgrade, Uncle Tony. What about the tower?” Tony coughed into his hand as they walked along. “I sold it temporarily. I needed time to evaluate another threat. You might have heard of him, Norman Osborn? I plan on pulling the rug on him in a few months.” Kate nodded along, remembering how Osborn had been caught in the aftermath of the Parker’s deaths. “Isn’t he under investigation for human experimentation?” Tony confirmed it as he walked with the pair.

Tony opened a door at the end of a corridor, leading them through. “Yeah, he created Electro, and funded the Scorpion project. Come, time to meet the new blood.” In the room were at least six teenagers, Clint noted. “Little young, aren’t they?” Tony frowned. “Believe me, if I could stop them I would. Seeing as they refuse to back down, I train them instead.” He shot a pointed look at Kate, who smiled as innocently as possible. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

On a couch, a blonde girl played with light projecting from her hands, a hooded boy cuddling her from behind. It was rather adorable. The boy’s hood dripped tendrils of darkness, slithering away into thin air. Kate smirked. “Those two are Tandy Bowen and Tyrone Johnson. Soulmates, and the pairing called Cloak and Dagger.” Clint snorted. “They fancy themselves spies?” He asked. Kate rolled her eyes. “No, it was just the most fitting thing at the time.”

Over in the corner were Peter and MJ, speaking with a large man next to a woman with long black hair who held a bottle of whiskey in her hand. “The Spider-Couple, as you can see.” MJ had wrapped her arms around Peter’s back, resting her chin in his neck. “Those two they’re talking to are Luke Cage and Jessica Jones.” Clint sputtered. “Wait, Luke Cage and Jessica Jones as in the Bulletproof Man and that strong girl?” Tony burst into laughter, drawing the attention of two more teens, an Asian girl dressed in fully black that held what looked like a staff in her hands and a blonde girl that glowed link. “Something funny, Mr Stark?” The Asian girl asked. He waved his hand dismissively. “Just something funny Barton here said, Nico, it’s nothing.” The blonde girl gaped. “Clint Barton, as in Hawkeye? I did a school project on you and Nat! It’s so cool to meet you!” Clint raised an eyebrow, tapping his hearing aid. Did he hear it right? The blonde noticed, signing. “Hello.” Clint grinned. “You know sign language?” She nodded. “Literally no-one in my friend group knew you were deaf before I told them!” The Asian girl chuckled. “Baby, your fangirl is showing.” The blonde blushed, jumping over to her girlfriend. Clint smiled. “Speaking of lesbians, where’s Carol?” He turned to Tony.

The golden girl was suspiciously missing from the Compound, after what Clint had seen on the news. “Off-world. Something about a junker.” He nodded after Tony, who introduced the girls Clint had just been talking to. “The other glowing girl in here is Karolina Dean, and the goth girl is Nico Minoru.”

Clint then frowned. “Dean and Minoru as in PRIDE?” The pair’s expressions widened, Nico looking down. Something horrible had happened to them. “They were a nasty piece of work. I’m sorry.” Nico waved it off. “Don’t be. They were assholes, but they brought us together.”

Tony clapped his hands before Clint could ask more. “Alright team, in we get! Time to hunt the rogue Captain!” The group converged, Kate heading to Tandy and Ty. “Hey, you two.” She said as she hugged them, lost in the bliss of being close to her best friends again. “Good to see you, the both of you. How you doing, Knives?” She turned to Tandy. The girl flicked a long strand of hair from her face, huffing. “I’m Dagger, you know this.” Ty had her in his arms bridal style, though put her on the ground. She pouted at him, huffing. “Ty, I was comfyy.” She whined. Ty snickered. “We have a job to do light girl.” He turned to Kate, Tandy’s arms still wrapped around his neck. “I’m fine by the way.” He joked. “The New Avengers runs smoother than ever without Rogers running the shitshow.”

Their attention turned to Tony. “Alright team, this is Clint Barton, my colleague and team-mate. Everyone give the run-down on your powers, please.”

Tandy and Ty stepped forward first. “I’m Dagger, he’s Cloak.” Tandy introduced, producing a dagger of light in her hand, Clint whistling in appreciation. “Thank you sir.” She thanked sincerely. “As you can see, I can manipulate light. With great hesitance, I can also see people’s hopes, in some cases, I can take it away.” She looked miserable at that. It reminded Clint of Wanda, though Tandy seemed genuinely remorseful about it. Ty took over for her, his dark cloak flaring up around him. “I’m Tyrone Johnson. Tandy here is my future wife.” She grinned, slapping his shoulder lightly. He stuck his tongue out at her. “I can manipulate darkness and see people’s worst fears, and take them away.” This seemed similar too, and Clint swallowed lightly. Mental manipulation was a tricky thing for him. On one hand, it could help people. On the other, it was too much like torture for him to like it, remembering Loki.

At that point, the Divine Pairing stepped back, allowing Peter and MJ to take the limelight. “I’m Peter Stark-Romanoff, and this is my soulmate Michelle Jones. I am Spider-Man, she is Spider-Woman. He shot a web from his wrist, aiming just at Clint’s feet. The man seemed unimpressed, until the boy disappeared from view. “We can shoot webs naturally from our wrists. We can also go invisible, and we have electric wrist fangs.”   
Michelle demonstrated the electric fangs by taking Nico’s hand, sending a shock through it. The girl sent a glare at the other, to which MJ smirked, hopping onto Peter’s shoulders.

Nico and Karolina took the plate, holding each other tightly. “I am Karolina Dean.” Karo started. “I am the Majesdanian Princess, and I can glow with energy, concentrating it into beams.” Nico stepped forward, watching as her girlfriend’s pink radiated over her skin. “I’m Nico Minoru, and I have a magic staff coded to my DNA.”

She slammed it down, creating a dent in the floor, shouting. “Water!” From no-where, a massive blast of water dropped on Clint, freezing cold as he shrieked, much to the kids laughter. “Jesus!” He looked to Nico. “I like you. You prank people?” If the smile she gave was any indication, Clint wouldn’t put it past her. He saw Peter gulp, grinning like a shark. “Oh, this is gonna get good.”

Tony clapped again, calling them to attention. “Okay, here’s the plan. Tandy, Ty and Nico, you’re with Vision, taking on Maximoff.” The pair nodded, Ty taking Tandy’s hand as the two blipped away suddenly. Clint laughed, knowing that these abilities would be put to great use. “Clint, Natasha and I will take on Cap and Barnes. Karolina, you take Falcon.” Karolina nodded, taking Nico’s hand as they lifted off, Nico holding as tightly to Karolina as possible as they flew to wherever Tandy and Ty had gone. “Peter and MJ, you two help King Kitty with the backup.”

King Kitty was Black Panther. It had been seven hours since the Vienna bombing, and time was ticking. On a sheer stroke of Luck, Tony managed to get Secretary Ross deposed and into a trial room within hours for human rights abuses. He was replaced with Everett Ross, much more reliable and ready to take on the duties of the Secretary. Sharon Carter was promptly removed from the equation on a cleanup mission in Lagos.

With Peter and MJ zipping off, Tony led Clint and Kate to the Armoury where everyone had gone. “Suit up and meet on the Helipad. We’ll lift off as soon as everyone’s ready.” With that, his suit wrapped around him, jetting away.

“Flashy git.” Clint joked.


	3. Leipzig-Halle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The airport fight happens, though more effective than one might think.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I now have a new tablet, so I’m working on that a lot. This new chapter is brought to you by an overanxious teenage girl that’s on three hours of sleep.

The suiting up took a while, Clint beside Kate as they grabbed their bows. Perfectly balanced, as all things should be. Clint looked over to his daughter, jittering with nervous energy. “You good, Kate? Cause I can send you back home to Mom.” Kate glared at her father. “Two words. Hell no.” She nocked an arrow, twisting her pose as her thumb remained on the bow’s side. Breathing out, she let it fly. “Bullseye.” She winked at her father, who grumbled. “Don’t get cocky kid, or it’s off to Auntie Trish’s with you.” Kate looked aghast, her jaw dropped. “Dad, you wouldn’t dare. Aunt Trish talks about fashion and haircare all day, and it’s so boring.”

Clint grinned. “The old man wins again.” Distinctly, he remembered Pietro Maximoff, taking those bullets during Sokovia to protect that boy’s life. Poor guy.

Tandy wandered up to them, fingering a glowing dagger, flipping it about. “You two ready?” She seemed nervous, preoccupied. Kate raised an eyebrow. “You’re not usually nervous. What’s up?” Tandy sighed, perching on a bench. “Ty and I have to bind Maximoff’s powers. That requires getting into her head.” She was afraid, she was ashamed of how she’d taken someone’s hopes, had kept doing it and sometimes still did. It was better when she gave people hope, at least then she was saving lives. Kate recognised this, leaning down. “Usually Ty would be the one to do this, but he’s gearing up, so, I’ll be the one that does it. Tandy Bowen, you are one of the most resilient, stubbornly good people I have ever met. My friendship with you has taught me to never let you out of my sight, and how to jack rich kids.” She joked. Tandy’s lips quirked upwards, standing up shakily. “You’re right. Thanks Eagle Eyes.” Kate called after her. “You too Blades!”

Clint looked on fondly. “You guys rely on each other a lot don’t you?” Kate looked to him. “We have to. We’ve been through tough shit, Ty and Tandy more than most. I won’t tell you more than that, but we know each other’s secrets and weaknesses, and we bond over them.” The surprisingly mature outlook Kate gave reminded Clint that these kids weren’t just kids, but survivors, winners. They had to be, or they’d be swallowed up in the cold. “Your friendship is amazing. The Avengers, however...” He sighed. “Let’s just say that Bruce was right. We were a chemical mixture primed to explode. Steve’s panicked, holding on to the last remnants of the 40’s as he can, and losing Bucky would sever that last tie. Besides that, he’s an arrogant prick who throws his weight around to intimidate Tony and Bruce. He’s angry when he doesn’t get the credit for their heroics, going so far as to ally with a mind-raping Nazi to swt an example to Barnes. He’s fucked in the head and either needs to be put down, or locked up forever.” Clint vent angrily, checking his enhanced quiver.

Kate hummed along. “Skye hacked into SHIELD’s files. They gave him no rehab therapy and said go back out into the world with barely as much as a psych eval.” Clint’s eyes narrowed as he turned to his daughter. “Bullshit. You have the files?” Kate wordlessly handed him her phone.

”I have to take these to Tony, is that okay?” Kate shooed him off, sighing as soon as he left. “Heard someone call my name. Who hath summoned the almighty one?” Skye’s voice came from the doorway behind her. Skye Stark-Romanoff, twin sister to Peter Stark-Romanoff, and hacker in Rising Tide as well as Quake. “I’m surprised you’re not joining us.” Kate stated, checking over her shock bracelets. Daisy shook her head. “Coulson has me on lab duty with FitzSimmons. I...” Daisy trailed off, looking uncomfortable. “Anything you wanna tell me, Daise?” Kate noticed she was a little pale, her hand on her stomach. “Are you-“ She questioned in shock, Daisy shushing her. “I’m sick, Kate. I’m quarantined off for the day.” Kate nodded in comprehension.

Soon, they were all on the jet, discussing their places. Over the air, Tony called through the comms. Landing in five minutes, so no bathroom breaks.” The humour broke through the worry for a second, before their grim reality set in.

Tony waited on the airstrip with Rhodey. God it was cold, and the European weather wasn’t doing them any favours. Tony wasn’t pulling his punches anymore, sick of the manipulation and bullying by a person who was, essentially, a test subject.

Rogers soon walked out, Barnes beside him. “Oh, Private Rogers! Funny how you run into people at the airport! So weird, right?” He asked to Rhodey, who echoed the sentiment. “So, weird.” Rhodey’s frustration was reaching a peak point; his nephew had been put through at least twenty floors by Maximoff, now hurt and angered, Vision was completely unshackled, ready to do what it takes.

”Tony.” Roger’s voice was cold, tense. “Let us through.” Barnes looked dazed, confused not exactly sure where he was or what was going on. “Can’t do that, Private. Gonna go through all of us before you get to that jet.” Everyone emerged from their hiding spots, lining up together as the Inhumans/Mutant’s powers started to flair. “New Avengers.” Tony roared, quieting to a whisper. “Assemble.”


	4. Leipzig

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The fight begins now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm saddened and incredibly angry at the George Floyd situation. I am hurt and angry at why black people have to deal with this every single day, and my heart goes out to the families of police brutality victims. If you protest, please take care of yourself, social distance if you can, and protect each other. The cops aren't pulling any stops.

"Avengers, assemble!"

Clint grimaced, everyone beginning to run. He noticed every group splitting off, noting Maximoff's confused expression when she saw him. Bitch had it coming for screwing with his mind. Nocking an arrow, he joined with Tony, when a guy in a suit suddenly popped up from no-where. "Hey!" Clint moved his stance, his eyes narrowed. "Who the hell are you!" He asked. The guy's mask flipped back. "I'm Scott Lang, Ant-Man. I was at my house just eating breakfast, and suddenly I'm in the back of a van with Falcon and he's telling me Cap needs my help. Can someone please tell me what the hell is going on here?" Clint turned to Nat. "Can you get Bug-boy out of here?" Nat nodded. "Alright, Scott. Come with me, and I'll keep you out of trouble." She flashed a glare to Sam, who looked slightly guilty, puffing out his chest.

Meanwhile, Tandy, Ty, Nico and Vision had engaged Maximoff, Tandy's blades and Ty's darkness clashing with Maximoff's red beams. "Who are you?" Wanda wailed, growling as her eyes beamed red. Tandy groaned, the red waves washing over her harmlessly, though forcefully. "Bitch, we're the Young Avengers!" She blasted the air with a light grenade, flashing Maximoff. "Ty!" She called. "I'm on you." He grabbed her hand, and within the blink of an eye, they held Wanda's arms. Nico slammed her staff on the ground, a righteous fury blazing through her veins, thrumming and pulsing. "Contain!" She cried. 

A pure bubble of white and grey glowed as it surrounded them, keeping them and Wanda within it, impenetrable to the outside. Ty felt pure rage at the fact that this imposter dared invade any innocent person's mind, especially to drive them to suicide. "Miss Maximoff." Vision stated monotonously. "Stand down, and we will neutralise you without a scuffle. Wanda had tears gathering in her eyes. Why were they being so mean? "Vis." She tried. "You love me, don't you?" 

Tandy broke her hold, punching the bitch in the jaw, knocking her back. "Don't you even fucking dare. You threw him through twenty levels. You manipulated him, and you abused him. You're worse than DeSchaine." Ty gasped shortly. She'd never even tried to say the name since it happened, too scared to even utter it. This was huge for her, even if it was his surname. "Back the fuck up before we just take you out instead." Tandy growled. Her knee was placed **on Wanda's chest** and she had her dagger against the witch's throat. Nico stood over her passively. "You, Maximoff, are a heretic." She stated emotionlessly. As a Wiccan, she was rightfully offended that this psychotic thing could dare to call herself a witch. Wanda growled, her mouth frothing like a rabid creature. Nico turned to the Divine Pairing and Vision, who kneeled by Wanda impassively. "Do it." Ty nodded. "With pleasure."  
  


Tandy and Ty each grabbed a wrist, their palms radiating their respective energies as they disappeared within Wanda's mind.

The pair landed within a chaotic storm of pure red, liquid like blood flying towards them. "What do we do?" Tandy screamed, her knees bent, a dagger held in front of her deflecting whatever it was from flying into her face. Her arms burned as the liquid ripped past her. "Boom!" Ty shouted back, grabbing her hand, the two dropping to the floor as tendrils of shadow and light exploded from the two, roaring in anger as it tore through the bloody liquid, obliterating it entirely, blasting outwards in a shockwave as far as the eye could see.

It was quiet.

The couple were left gasping for breath, clinging to each other tightly. Ty was the first to rise, looking around. "What the-"

They were in a living room, Tandy joining him. It was bland as far as the eye could see. Like a normal home, except... stranger, in a way. "It reminds me of the Tower." Tandy stated in disgust, looking about. Then, they heard singing, a light, though slightly coarse sound not unlike an acoustic guitar ringing through from somewhere to their left. There, Maximoff was standing at a sink, singing a Sokovian lullaby. "She looks peaceful." Tandy observed, gasping when the woman turned around, revealing a significantly large pregnant gut. "Just so you know, you're not doing that to me." She joked, Ty scoffing good naturedly. "Sure I'm not." He bantered back. She rolled her eyes, eyeing the gut in front of her. "Yes you are."

A man soon stepped through the door, leaving the two in shock, Ty and Tandy utterly reviled. "That's disgusting! She abused him, and manipulated him! He's basically a baby puppy." Vision stood there in a suit and a suitcase in his hands. "Ah, Vis!" Wanda greeted, leaning up to kiss him. Ty almost attempted to smack her right then and there. After everything she did, she loved him? Yeah, right. Ty and Vision were pretty close in the way that Ty, Tandy, Peter and Michelle were basically siblings in that Vision was like a long lost cousin. They'd all gone out together to a protest in June and fought for justice. "How are you and the twins?" Tandy's jaw dropped. "That belly's twins? They're some big twins." She looked slightly wary, disgusted that a monster of this caliber could even have children. "They're fine. Can't wait to meet their daddy though." Tandy felt a little bit of bile catch in her throat. "Alright, that's very much enough, fuck this." She yanked Wanda's wrist, feeling the woman's hope sap from her and into Tandy, giving her a sick sense of satisfaction, the backdrop going dark.

"Now then." Ty began. "What is her deepest, darkest fear, I wonder my love." Tandy looked to him. "Calling me my love is like me calling you my knight. If you wanna go that way, I wanna see you in knight's armour." Ty smirked satisfied. "I'll call it a deal if I can get you in queen's robes." Tandy giggled, slapping Ty's chest happily with a lit up palm, illuminating the grim darkness around them.

"Deal. You **_are_** my king after all.. _"_ She turned her attention to the witch's fear. Looking around, Ty smirked when he saw the witch trapped under rubble. "Pietro!" She all but screeched her brother's name, the speedster's limp body staring with glazed eyes, his cheeks sunken and rotted. "You **killed me!** " He moaned out, bloody tears started to drip down his face while Wanda wailed. "No, I didn't! Stark killed you! It's all his fault! I'll kill him!" She had her arms free, stamping her hands on the ground like a little baby, whining and crying, when a new figure emerged. One James Buchanan Barnes stood over her, glaring darkly, his metal arm replaced with a ghostly red one. "You wiped my memory." He choked out, hurt. "You tortured me! You turned Stevie against me!" He wept, slamming his fist into the ground, leaving an ominous dent resting in the dirt next to Wanda's face. "You deserved it!" She roared, laughing manically. "You took everything from me! You took Steve away from me! I want him! I want him, I want him, I WANT HIM!" Ty couldn't help but feel immensely sorry for the man. He'd seen the torture videos after SHIELD fell, and he'd rightfully been sick. They'd subjected him to mind-wiping, electroshock therapy, and even had people force themselves on him, to which he'd had to calm Tandy down from a panic attack. It was justified to see Wanda stricken with terror.  
  
Next up was Steve Rogers himself, sneering arrogantly as he crouched down to Wanda's level. "Did you really think I wanted you?" He taunted. "You didn't think I felt you in my mind? You were a cheap fuck at best." Tandy's jaw dropped, bending over to puke, hurling whatever she'd eaten for lunch up as Ty bent down to her, almost throwing up himself at the mental image. He'd have to ask Nico or Vis to scrub that one from his brain, shuddering. "I know, I know." He held her hair back, waiting until she was done before they continued. "I only ever used you as an example to Bucky, an example that he could be redeemed without consequence. Hell, I even dismissed Stark because I knew you'd kill him. He's nothing like his father, and I hate him. I hate this world, but I'll defend it because it's the right thing to do." His delusional grandstanding had Ty chilled to his bones at the casual implication that he'd kill Tony without a second thought if it didn't suit his dear Bucky. Tony was their leader, and most importantly, he was like a father to all of the kids, hell, even dome of the younger adults. Even then, to the adults he was a brother, family. And by Hela would they protect him.

"Rogers is dead." Tandy growled. Ty was in agreement. "Or in the very least, he stays imprisoned in the Darkforce. Forever." Ty offered, the Patriot himself disappearing, now replaced with Natasha Stark. The redheaded assassin practically waltzed up to the woman, smirking sadistically. "Hello there Wanda." She greeted. "You want to kill my husband don't you? My soulmate." Wanda snarled ferociously. "Your husband deserves it! He killed my parents! He killed my brother." Like that, a switch flipped, and Nat's face took on an evil winter glare. "Wrong. Your father is alive, and you damn well knew it. You erased it from your own brother's mind so he wouldn't tattle on you, is that it?" The woman paused for effect. "He knows. **He knooows.** " She teased. "Let me tell you, when I told Erik what you'd done, he raged for days. You killed your own brother because of your petty revenge. He disowned you, you know. And now, Tony is gonna have your visa revoked." She grinned, an evil, terrifying grin with all whites as her eyes burned orange. "One word. Run."   
"I think we've seen enough." Tandy whispered, swallowing down her tears. She hated being in here. She hated looking into people's minds and taking what was most dear to them, but it had to be done. She stole hopes because she had no choice, but now, she stole because she had to. "Amplify her fear, Ty. Turn it up to 1000, let's take her powers, and leave her in here." He nodded silently, the cloak lifting off the ground as his eyes suddenly leaked black smoke, his voice booming as the Darkforce shook. Tandy impaled the floor with her dagger, steadying herself. "Maximoff, your fear becomes you!" He boomed, a gust of wind blasting outwards with a clap of thunfer before the room glowed white. The red vanished from the aura, becoming a pale grey as her powers destroyed themselves from the inside out.

They found themselves back in Leipzig, opening their eyes to the fight around them. Maximoff was neutralised, shaking with pure, unbridled terror, though lost in a catatonic state. Vision huffed. "I will take her back. You either rejoin the fight, or stay out of it." With that, he lifted off, leaving the trio alone.

Kate, Clint and Tony were facing off against the two Rogues. "Barnes, this isn't you!" He called, nocking an arrow, firing into Barnes' arm, releasing a shockwave into the metal limb, the Winter Soldier groaning. "What choice do I have? I have to manage Steve!" Clint fired another two, creating a tripwire that the Soldier promptly tripped over, before correcting and continuing. "Steve is not yours to manage! He is as of now a criminal for disobeying the Sokovia Accords!" He dodged a knife that came dangerously close to taking off his ear. Barnes hesitated, Steve fighting with Tony. "Buck! What are you doing, fight back?" Bucky sighed, laying down his weapons. Steve roared, throwing himself at Clint, throwing his shield. The poor man went flying, his knees taken clean off his legs. He screamed in agony, his torso flying over to Nico, who screamed. "Clint!" Tony yelled, turning to Cap. "He was your team-mate!" He activated his thrusters, tackling Steve as the man flew through the air. Somewhat preoccupied, Bucky ran to Clint, gaping in horror at what Ste- no, Rogers had done. "Oh, my God." Looking over, he saw Stark fighting with Rogers. The girl in front of him was crying, knelt over him. "Hey." She jumped back in alarm, twirling a staff in her hands. "I won't hurt you." He put up his hands placatingly. "Can we help him?" The girl nodded, closing her eyes.

Glowing orange sparks revealed a man with a red cape and a glowing amulet walking through, noticing Clint, who had since gone into shock. "Oh, shit." He swore. "What the hell happened." Bucky turned to the man. "Steve, he- he just threw his shield and now Barton's legs are gone!" The man looked to the gothic girl, who got up, nodding before she ran into the portal. This was quickly going to shit. "Barnes, grab his bow and help me carry him." Complying, after grabbing the weapon, which automatically compacted when he grabbed it, he headed back over. Barnes was now moaning, unconscious. Picking him up, Barnes had to risk it, he had to. He threw Clint over his shoulder, fireman style, following the man through a portal.

Kate had been taken out of the fight the moment her dad's legs had been separated, throwing herself at Captain America. The man swatted her aside like a bug, a sick crack going through her arm. She sobbed, Michelle and Peter slinging to her. "It's gonna be okay, girl. It'll be fine." Michelle hugged the other girl, turning to Peter and T'Challa, who looked furious, yet lost. "Go to Tony. Beat that star spangled asshole into the ground. I'm taking Kate to base." She slung over to Ty, who took one look at Kate and nodded, summoning up a Darkforce portal. "Go!" Gratefully, Michelle dashed through, exiting the battle.

Tony, T'Challa and Peter joined up. "YEET!" Peter roared, pelting a storage silo at the Captain, who flew back a few meters, landing on his knees. "How dare you!" He screamed in anguish as T'Challa assisted Tony. "How can we help?" The Wakanda asked, throwing a well aimed punch to the Captain's ribs. Tony answered with a repulsor beam. "Corral the bastard. Peter!" He called to the Spider-Boy, who stood to attention. "Me and T'Challa are gonna beat Rogers over to the airplane boarding chute! When we get there, web him to it!" Peter nodded, pressing a finger to his ear. "Karen!" He called to his AI. "Activate Shoot Him In Ze Legs Because His Shield Is The Size Of A Dinner Plate And He Is An Idiot protocol!"   
  
"Gladly, Peter." With that, his suit began reconfiguring, plate sized bumper shields appearing over his arms, knees and chest, his mask changing to the flag of America. "How does it feel now, you patriotic prick!" He swung into Rogers with harmful intent. "Freedom Kick!" He yelled, kicking Roger's shield and flipping off of it. Tony flew in, blasting Rogers as T'Challa followed on, soaring through the air before T'Challa threw Rogers back to the ground, dust rising from the asphalt. "Eagle Yeet!" Peter crowed, webbing Roger's shield and taking it for himself. "America Fuck Yeah Finger!" He flipped Steve off, webbing away. Tony shook his head. "I know damn well I didn't create that protocol." T'Challa snorted. "What did you expect when you put Shuri, Peter, Michelle and Harley together, Dr Stark? I have grey hairs and I'm twenty nine!" The two men laughed as they forced Rogers underneath the aircraft chute. "Underoos!"

Peter swung in, Roger's shield on his arm, whooping as he webbed Rogers to the airplane chute. "We did it!" He crowed.

Explosions rocked the chute as Falcon flew by, Karolina in hot pursuit. When she saw her beam hit the airplane chute, she saw Peter catch it, screaming as she did. "Peter!" She saw Falcon falter in mid air, darting down to help. She joined him on the ground, where Peter held the chute. Tony and T'Challa were helping to keep it lifted. "You're doing great, Peter. You'll be fine." Tony comforted his son, who groaned. "Dad..." He looked into his dad's armour. "God, it hurts." Karolina rushed up. "Peter, put it on me! We can put it down safely, come on!" He did so eagerly, both teenagers groaning as they edged the chute onto the ground, clearing Rogers by inches, who was strapped securely to the side. "I'm sorry." Falcon apologised. Karolina raised her arm, blasting him with a ray of pink laser. He fell back, knocked out. It was over.


	5. The Fallout

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After Leipzig, Clint's life hangs in the balance. Falcon and Cap get the thrashing of their life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, the protests happened. The police are at it now with the sonic speakers. Stay the hell away from them and get gun range grade headphones to muffle the sound.  
> In other news, enjoy the chapter, and donate to the causes.

With the battle finished, Clint was rushed to hospital, Metro General. "Christine!" He roared as he led Bucky along.

Bucky was terrified. He hadn't bombed anything, and yet the reactions had been anything but hostile. If anything, they were trying to dial everything down. What the hell was Steve playing at? Now he had a guy with a severed torso hanging over his shoulders completely out cold, and Steve could seem to care less.

The young lady beside him seemed distraught, her hands shaking. He had to re-submit himself before anything else happened.   
Another woman appeared in hospital dress-downs, gaping at the sight. "Holy shit!" She exclaimed, several nurses and doctors running towards Clint as Bucky handed him off. "Please, help him." The former Hydra brainwashed assassin begged. Christine gaped at the sight of him. "I know. I didn't bomb Vienna, you have to believe me! Just help him and I'll re-submit myself to them." The woman nodded grimly as Clint was rushed off on a stretcher.

Nico sunk to her knees, curling in on herself. Tony had found the Runaways after an energy spike in LA cause by Karolina just after the Magistrate battle. Tony had been the one to refer her to Doctor Strange as an apprentice, and since then the teacher bond had become more like that of a father and a daughter. Thus far her actual dad being a disappointment. Now the infamous Hawkeye was either dead or paralysed forever.

The Winter Soldier crouched in front of her, helping her into a chair. "Listen." He said in an impossibly soft voice for such a killer. "I'm going to hug you now. I hope Clint will be okay, but I have to go sort this out." Nico fell into it, his hugs like a mama bear. She sniffed, smiling a little bit. "I like you." She admitted. "My girlfriend will as well, I think. Go, sort this out and I'll wait for his family." She saw the pained look in his eyes as he walked away, the immense guilt that seemed to weigh on his shoulders. She sighed, rubbing her arms. It was unnecessarily cold in this hospital. The sterility creeped her out, too clean even for her.   
  


Kate arrived, along with Laura, Lila, Cooper and Nate about a half hour later. Nico jumped up, rushing to hug Kate. "Oh, my God. You okay?" Nico looked over Kate, sighing in relief when she found no injuries. "I'm so sorry." Nico sobbed into Kate's shoulder. Kate took her into a hug, growling softly. "'S not your fault. Rogers made that decision to throw that goddamned shield at my dad." Nico scoffed derisively, pulling out. "I'm gonna get Tony to melt that fucking thing." She stated, folding her arms. Laura soon came up to her, pulling her into a small hug. "Hi, Nico. I've heard a lot about you. How is he? How are you?" Laura asked, concerned. Nico pushed a strand of hair from her face. "I'm alright. Your husband was hurt bad. Rogers threw his shield at him, split his torso in two." Laura let out a gasp, anger and hurt tinging her voice as she plastered a hand to her mouth. Cooper looked angry, pure fury written on his face. His fists were clenched and shaking hard as he spoke. "I'm gonna kill him, or at the very least hurt him." Nico's gaze switched to him. "Cooper. I am telling you now, your anger is getting the better of you. You've been working with Luke and Danny, channel that anger." Watching, Nico nodded solemnly as Cooper inhaled deeply, a serene look passing over his face.

-

"God **dammit Steve!** " Tony reprimanded. The blond super-soldier was held captive in a huge metal box, vibranium wrist restraints trapping him to the chair. "Clint could die because of you and for what? Barnes? We were your team, asshole! 'Sometimes my teammates don't tell me things'. Bullshit." Tony stepped further up to the glass. Steve sat defiant, his jaw locked in place. "I know your secret. I know what your boyfriend did." Steve's eyes widened a fraction. "Bucky's innocent! You can't hurt him!" He struggled in the restraints, held back at every turn.   
"Like hell he can't." Tony whipped around at the sound. Barnes himself was standing there, his hand clenched on the doorway. "If Tony wanted to take me out, he would." He shot a remorseful look to Tony, who understood. _Cuff me_ , the look said. As Barnes approached, he took the super-cuffs from a nearby table, letting Barnes put himself into them. Steve looked outraged, and his face was red, nearly apoplectic with rage. "No, Bucky, stop! It wasn't you! I won't let you do this!"   
The room quieted, the only sound heard was the air conditioning for a few moments before Bucky broke the silence. "I'm sorry, you won't _let_ me do this? Did I hear that right?" Bucky stepped up to the glass, showing his hands wrapped in the cuffs. "I'm my own person. Winter is his own person, and newsflash, you made everything worse. You're acting like some goddamned kicked puppy like back in the 40s. Use your brain for once! Poor Sarah, having to deal with you as her kid. With all of your medical expenses from you fighting, it was no wonder she couldn't afford anything!"   
  
Tony blinked for a moment. Family drama wasn't necessarily something he was too familiar with, given his father hated him and his mother and the Jarvises were the only ones to care for him until Rhodey at MIT and Pepper years ago. "I wasn't expecting that. You ready to go, Terminator?" He winced. Probably wasn't the best analogy to use, but it worked for now. Bucky glared at Steve once more. "One warning. **Grow up.** " Bucky growled, finally allowing himself to be led away.

  
-

Sam sat in his cell, rubbing his forehead. How had they fucked up so royally? What the hell was wrong with him when oversight was brought up? During the military, he was the one that insisted on being watched over, just so anything he did was thoroughly reviewed. After Riley, he must've still been compromised, allowed himself to get too caught up in Captain America's glory. The response to Lagos was a sensible one, the only rational one now that he was looking at it. He was pathetic, just a guy playing pretend.   
Rhodey walked in, along with the Spider-Kid that had thoroughly whooped his ass. "You are in a world of trouble, do you know that?" Sam sighed at the tone in Rhodey's voice, a flat disappointment which burned in his veins. "Yeah." Sam accepted, looking Rhodey in the eye. "I fucked up, hugely. I-I was too close to the situation, Cap was my friend." Rhodey seemed apprehensive at this, like he knew that what he said was the truth, though held his reservations or his opinions. "Your friend, as it were, cut Clint in half."

At this, Sam's eyes flew wide open, on his feet in a flash. "He what?" Peter stepped up to the plate. "Mr America threw his shield at Clint, cutting him in half. He's in surgery right now, and he might not live." Sam felt as if the wind had been knocked out of him, choked up as he looked Rhodey firmly in the eye. "I accept any punishment that comes my way. I fucked up, and now Clint' s hurt, and I almost hurt the kid here." He turned to Spider-Boy. "I'm sorry. I didn't think when I was firing that missile. It was dangerous, and irresponsible of me. I'm sorry." Peter slipped off his mask, revealing himself to Sam. "Mr Wilson, sir. I should've moved out of the way. You were wrong to fire that missile, but I'm okay." He smiled softly. "You know what you did wrong, now you have to pay the price." Rhodey took over as Peter turned and left the room. "An SI lawyer will be here soon to take you over your charges, and we'll try to get you the lowest sentence possible." Having got the last word, Rhodey left the room too. Sam put his head in his hands, sitting on his bed. Where had he gone so wrong?


	6. Consequences Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Here we see the aftermath of the battle, as well as Steve and Bucky's confession. A new element is brought into the game.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was a time crunch last chapter, so I'm gonna try and make this one longer, with more quality, because I love you guys! Thanks!

After the battle, Nat brought Scott to the Quinjet, sitting him down. They both watched the fight, and Nat had to physically restrain herself from running back to Clint when she saw his legs separated by the man she'd called Captain. Tony had been right. She had let out a massive sigh of relief when she saw Strange, and Barnes carrying her friend through a portal.

Scott couldn't believe it. He'd been sitting at home with Cassie when Falcon had broken into his home, knocking him out without an explanation. The next thing he knew, he was in a van crossing into Germany, where Falcon had briefly told him that Cap needed help, no further explanation. He'd watched in horror as the famous Hawkeye was split in half by Captain America, then the new Spider-Kid had an airplane chute dropped on him! What the hell was going on?

"Uhm, ma'am?" He spoke up tentatively, causing Natasha to turn to him, inquisitively. "What do you need?" She asked. Her eyes turned softer, though still suspicious. Scott rubbed the back of his head. "I need a phone to call my daughter, Cassie." Natasha shook her head. "Don't worry. The second Tony saw you he fired off a message to Hope." She explained. At Scott's gobsmacked look, she sat down next to him. "How much have you heard about Tony? From Pym especially." She asked, tilting her head in an attempt to make herself seem innocent. Scott flushed a little, looking down. "Hank told me that all Starks were thieves, and that Howard wanted his tech most of all. It uh, sort of wore off when he made me steal from an Avengers facility, which I didn't know about. Ever since, I haven't trusted him. But, what about Hope?"   
Natasha let a smile grace her features. "Let's just say Pym is a vindictive bastard. Hope and Tony are god-siblings through Maria and Janet. Pym and Howard didn't like that, the only thing they ever agreed on, so the bastards tried to keep them apart." She chuckled. "Didn't stop either of them. Hope and Tony both went to MIT together, where they met Rhodey. That trio caused the Great MIT Meltdown of 1989." Scott let out a shocked laugh, chuckling along. "When I joined the group, I was a horrible person. I had this impulsive instinct to lie, and save myself over others. I didn't know the meaning of consent." She looked uncomfortable, shifting a small bit in her seat. "Tony showed me that love wasn't childish. He showed me there was more to life than missions. When our son came along, I was ecstatic. I thought the Red Room had sterilised me." She admitted. "Turns out, they very nearly did. I can't have any more kids. They poisoned my uterus lining. It was a miracle Pete survived as he did. I'm so grateful that my boys are in my life. That my son has such a wonderful soulmate. But Rogers tore the Avengers apart."

Scott had a lot to process there. "So, Hank is just a selfish asshole?" Natasha shrugged. "That's the basics of it. He's bitter because he lost Janet. Tony would destroy himself if not for all of us. But, he's also a narcissist." She cleared her throat. "When I first met Tony, I profiled him as such. I was wrong. I went off tabloids and greedy, dirty politicians, a good portion of which turned out to be Hydra. It certainly forced me to review myself. I didn't like what I saw." They sat in silence for a while, before Scott spoke up. "So what happens now?" Natasha stood up, watching the kids approach with Tony and Rhodey. Peter was holding his shoulder gingerly, Michelle supporting him. Natasha's winter fury worsened, her blood boiling when she remembered what Falcon did to **her boy**. "When Hope fired off the text, I managed to legalise the usage of the suit, which she is now giving to you." Scott's jaw widened if possible. Natasha pressed the button to open the walkway, a soft whirring filling the Quinjet. "You're an engineer, apparently a damn intelligent one too. Tony's invited you and Hope to have access to a lab in the Compound to work on your tech."   
  


Scott had sorely misjudged Dr Stark. It sounded like he'd just followed along again, like the idiot he tended to be. If anything, he now vowed to be better at judging people, and just be better over all. He should probably get his head around a lot more if he wished to even begin being on the same level as Iron Man.

Just then, the new Avengers team entered the Quinjet, minus the magic goth girl he'd seen follow the Winter Soldier through that portal with the other crazy magic guy. He'd seen Spider-kid get injured by Falcon, wondering who did that to a teenager! He jumped up, helping the kid into a seat. "Hi. I'm Ant-Man. You guys probably don't know me, sorry, bad time and all. Um, are you okay Spider-Man?" The kid had revealed his identity after the whole Oscorp shebanza when he'd first started, and Oscorp had eventually been shut down when Norman Osborn had died of a brain tumour, leaving no heir. Their building had gone to the Thompson family, a trading business that moonlighted as a narcotics dealer undercover. The NYPD had yet to bust them, on lack of evidence. "I'm okay, Mr Ant Man. This is my girlfriend, Michelle." He gestured to the frizzy haired girl next to him, who was unmasked, looking disheveled and worn out, waved a hand in greeting. "Bug-boy." She groaned, plonking down besides her soulmate.   
  


Scott soon turned his attention to the others, the light girl, the hoodie boy and the glowing pink girl. "Hi! You guys are, Cloak, Dagger and Starlight, right?" He greeted, shaking each hand, though particularly wary of the Divine Pairing, as they were called. He'd seen what happened to the Scarlet Witch, and didn't exactly want that happening to him. The cloak boy introduced himself first, his handshake had been firm and meaningful. He had a soft looking expression, and Scott got the vague impression of an incredibly kind, polite young man who'd seen stuff he didn't deserve. "Hi. My name's Tyrone Johnson. Otherwise known as Cloak." He turned to the girl with the glowing daggers beside him, who was leaning against him, looking absolutely worn down. "This almost knocked out girl is my soulmate, Tandy Bowen." He nudged the girl gently, to moans of protest as she patted his arm. "'Sup, Bug's Life?" She turned to Ty after a short sarcastic salute to Scott, who got the impression of a snarky, yet kind and brave girl who'd struggled, yet told the world to go screw itself and carved her own path. "Ty, the caffeine is worn out, and if I don't sleep, you're not getting a Bowen hug for a week." Smirking, Ty closed his eyes. Scott's eyes nearly bugged out of his skull when he saw the dark tendrils snaking from the boy's body, the girl simply stepping into him and disappearing. "What the- what? How?" The pink glowy girl laughed beside him. "Don't worry about that, she's fine. She just takes to sleeping inside their pocket dimension. Freaked me the hell out too the first time." She gazed out the window. "My name's Karolina Dean. Like the Deans, Gibborim, I know." She expected the cringe from Scott. From what the news had said, LA had had a secret covert alien infestation posing as a religious cult, which sacrificed teens to this alien, which the teenaged team dubbed the Runaways had killed. Starlight was on that team. "Then that was your girlfriend? Lady Voodoo or something?" Scott murmured excitedly. Karolina smirked, crossing her arms. "Something like that."

-

In the interrogation room, talks were going well. "So, what? Five Winter Soldiers in Siberia, and the doctor was fake? Got it." Tony said, then promptly exploded. "So why the hell didn't you tell me? I could've helped, Rogers!" At that, Steve bolted up. "The Accords would've restricted you! Ross-" Tony roared, his eyes glowing a fiery red as he quieted Steve. "Shut up! The Accords are about oversight and asking permission to get into other countries without inciting a goddamn world war, Rogers! If America is seen to be invading a place like Lagos, that is grounds for war, **do you hear me**? And if it escaped your notice, Ross is currently in prison in the Raft, where preparations are being made to blow the place to hell! Within hours, the Raft and Ross will be drowning among the fish, and they will die together."

A knock on the door alerted him to the newcomers. "You called, Stark?" Daredevil and the Defenders stood in the doorway, geared and ready for action.


	7. Defenders in Siberia

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Defenders are called in to deal with Zemo. They don't like what they find. Jessica goes to talk with Wanda.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trying out a new dialogue format cause I noticed the paragraphs were super clustered and felt really claustrophobic. From here on out until Thanos, this will start to become an Avengers family fic, as I'm running out of hate juice for the Rogues.

Tony clapped his hands. "Ah, finally! The Defenders, Rogers, Barnes." He introduced, stepping aside to let the super group get a look at them.   
  
"You're afraid, Rogers. Brain's in a rut, you feel like everything's going sideways, blaming Tony for Ultron because you don't understand the technology nor the experience, you cling onto Barnes because if you look away you think he'll disappear. You weren't given a standard therapist by SHIELD so you still have latent trauma and late stage PTSD. I estimate a year until you make a self sacrificing decision in an attempt to save a friend or make a self indulging decision disguised as one." Daredevil growled, his lip upturned slightly, eyes burning into his. Rogers' mouth dropped open, shooting up onto his feet.   
  


"How do you know that?" Rogers barked, sweat dripping down his forehead as he slammed the glass. Yet the Daredevil had no sign of a flinch. He stood calmly, crossing his arms. "Rather easy. Since the fall of SHIELD you've had trust issues, so you went on rogue covert missions knowing you wouldn't be funded so you used Tony's money, and you found something out in the bunker that you knew would make Tony distrust you, so you took Wilson, a man you knew for two days to find him, then came Ultron which in turn fuelled your paranoia and so you decided to try and make him complacent, tried to make him weak. And then, then came Wanda. You thought 'perfect, an example for Bucky.' Well, look how that turned out." Daredevil stepped closer after speaking, getting quieter for his next sentence. "When were you gonna tell him that Barnes killed his parents?"

Tony balked, stopping short as his head turned to the Devil of Hell's Kitchen. "What." It wasn't a question, more a statement. Jessica and Cage both noticed. "Shit, grab him, Luke!" Jessica yelled, holding Tony back as the suit formed on him. "I got him!" Luke called, forcing Tony down on his knees. Castle kneeled in front of him. "Tony, buddy." He started. "I know. I know, god I know. But this ain't it. We can go down the shooting range and blow some shit up, you feel me?" He took hold of Tony's armour plated shoulders, keeping him in a tight grip. "Come on man." Frank comforted, pulling the man into a hug as Tony's faceplate receded. Rogers was vaguely heard yelling, banging his fists on the table when Danny of all people approached, his fists glowing as he threw one into the glass, a sharp **BOOM** rocking it. Rogers actually looked scared as he backed up, falling on his ass. "Start screaming shit, Private America, and I'll leave a dent in your face. Got it?" Danny threatened. Rogers looked nervous enough to nod, the tension in the room evaporating.

Danny gazed out the corner of his eye. "Anything to add, Barnes?" He questioned. The supersoldier huffed grimly. "How much damage did I cause? Who did I hurt?" Danny turned fully to him. "You're damn lucky only one person was hurt. That guy you pulled off the bike has lost an arm because an SUV ran it over. Anatoly Dvestri." Bucky looked down, sighing. "HYDRA has funds buried in Albania. Bunker in a little town of Fucking." It was like a record scratch as Frank let out a short bark of laughter, clutching his stomach. "Well then. You can't say that Pierce didn't have a sense of humour. Hand it over to us, we'll get it handled." He stated, getting up. "Time to roll out you guys." Daredevil ordered, leaving Tony silent within the room.

Tony glared at Rogers, breathing heavily. "That was my mom, Rogers. My _mom._ I'm not angry at Barnes, but I sure as hell am angry at you. You hid this from me. You hurt Clint. He might never walk again because of **you!** " Tony screeched, clenching his fists as he paced. His blood boiled, and as much as he wanted to let the heat overtake him, he cooled. The orange flames in his eyes died down as he turned to leave the room. Just as he was about to leave, he looked back over his shoulder. "This is farewell for now Rogers. Good luck." He bade, walking away, leaving Steve to contemplate his mess.

-

The Runaways landed in Siberia, the hatch opening. Snow layered the ground heavily, apart from thick tire tracks snaking to the entrance of the bunker. In the distance, mountains reigned supreme over the landscape. "Fuck, it's cold." Jessica swore. "Wish I had some fuckin' vodka right now." She murmured. The others managed small smiles at her antics, Daredevil and Punisher checking their weaponry. "Remember, these are Winter Soldiers we're going in to deal with, Enhanced, and trained to near perfection. We shoot them, they die, end of story." Daredevil briefed as they approached the bunker.   
The door was open, leading into the blackness. "Looks like the bad doctor got here before us." Luke commented. Looking to Danny, the man lit up his fists, leading the charge inside.

What they emerged to in the centre sickened them. "Oh, my God." Danny felt like puking. The five Winter Soldiers sat in their cryo units, five neat, bloody holes in their skulls. "If it's any more comforting, they died in their sleep." He was locked in a nuke-proof chamber. "Why don't you come out and face us yourself, coward?" Luke challenged, puffing out his chest as the team's stances steadied. "Because! I am not powered like you! I am Sokovian Black Ops, not a superhero like you!" Zemo laughed, leaning back in his chair. Danny was fiddling with something, Jessica realised. Peeking over, she saw him using his phone to access the network in the bunker, snorting when the door opened seconds later. "Well, that was easy." The Sokovian militant jumped up. "Wait! I have footage you have to see!" He slammed his hand onto a button, a screen flaring up.   
  


_December 16, 1991_

"That's the day Tony's parents died. What..?" Jessica murmured, her breath hitching when she realised what the scene was. Luke had a tight hold of Zemo while they watched in horror as the Winter Soldier bashed Howard's head in, choking Maria to death. Jessica didn't know what to think after that, Danny looked green with horror, about ready to throw up, while Castle, Daredevil and Luke were mutinous. She could practically feel the energy radiating from them, wincing.

"You're a piece of work, you know that? Asshole." She spat at Zemo, flicking her head. "Come on. Let's get the fuck outta dodge."

-  
  


Later, at the Compound, Jessica stood in front of Maximoff, her disgust plain on her face. How the hell did Rogers think letting her on the team. The woman glared right back, and Jessica found she didn't give a shit. "Alright, listen here witch. When I first heard about you, I wanted you dead. Mind rape is mind rape after all, and I should tell you, I don't like that shit, especially after being controlled by an abusive asshole for years." She growled as she crouched down, level to the pathetic girl. "But now you don't have your powers anymore, I don't care." She looked the woman right in the eyes. "Doctor Strange, a good friend of ours, has taken you in as a student. Now, I don't give a shit what happens to you, but if you give him any trouble, I'll know, got it? So **behave**. You wanna be treated like a child, we'll treat you like one." The bitch still said nothing, obviously intimidated by the way she cowered. "Got anything else to say?" Jessica asked, gesturing around her. When it was clear she didn't, Jessica sighed. "Good talk."


	8. Everything Moves Forward

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Skye comes to check on her family. Jessica, Luke and Matt have their detective work cut out for them as a new threat appears, working with Cloak, Dagger and the Spiders.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm working on other fics apart from C&D I promise. I have things planned for my Detroit fic, I have a few stories coming up, to do with Alita, Mirror's Edge and Agents of Shield. Comment down below what you wanna see and I'll get to it.

Daisy strides along the Tower in a hurry as she sees her brother, spotting him across the way. "Peter!" She yells, breaking into a sprint as the Spider turns round, ambushed by his sister. Laughing, he embraces her as she wraps around him. "Hey big sis! How goes it?" He asks, escaping from Daisy ruffling his head. She shrugs, putting her hands on her hips.

"Going fine. Y'know, apart from Jackass America balling up the Accords all over again. I still can't believe the nerve of him after what he pulled back at the farm." She sighed, looking between the two spiders. She grinned at the looks between Michelle and Peter, one of which was flushed red. "Ohh. You guys were about to go find an empty broom closet, weren't you?" She joked, grinning as the other girl only flushed further, rubbing her arm.

"I would, but my heat's about to go into effect. I don't wanna risk it." Michelle stated, watching as the vibration super nodded in understanding. The two usually lined upon their heats, though they weren't usually able to get their hands on suppression tablets, any of the trio had trouble doing it thanks to the medical climate and their positions in intelligence agencies. "I get it. Peter, control your rutting, and Jesus Christ take your pills." She ordered, pointing to the brunette spider, who scoffed at it, turning his head to her. "Hark who's talking! How are you, Fitz and Jemma huh?" He retorted, watching as his older sister's face turned a nice shade of tomato red as she spluttered.

"Don't bring my sex life into this, kiddo. Besides, we aren't even remotely near each other for another week thanks to their assignment over in Mali." She sighed wistfully, straightening up as she flicked her head. "Anyway, I'm gonna go find Mom and Dad for a hug. It's your choice if you guys wanna join, but if you don't, I swear to Thor's biceps be safe." She winked again as she teased the pair, not entirely joking.

Walking down the hallway, she tilted her head upwards to the ceiling. "Hey Fri?" She called up into the ceiling, cool, air conditioned cold flowing around her sweating body. "Yes Mistress Stark?" FRIDAY responded calmly, the Irish brogue strangely calming. Skye loved the AI. All the bots were hers and Peter's siblings, although DUM-E, despite being the oldest, was the most childish of them all, and the youngest simultaneously. He was like a little puppy. "Do you know where Mom and Dad are, Fri?"

"Mr and Mrs Stark are a floor down from you in the Common Room if you wish to join them." Friday stated, much to Daisy's appreciation. She put her thumbs up at the nearest camera, grinning. "Thanks FRI! I'll help you build another firewall to add onto the others tonight!" She told FRIDAY excitedly, and she swore she could hear the whir of happiness from her robo-sister. "Thank you Daisy. Can it be a randomised encryption function?" FRIDAY requested, a note of hope in her voice that made Daisy melt, not that she'd admit it, though she was sure FRIDAY was area of the effect she had on her siblings. "Of course! For that I'll add in a frequency scroller too."

The elevator took her down into the Common Room, finding her parents snuggled together on the couch. They looked up at her, their eyes brightened as they gestured for her to sit. "Hey bambina. What's up?" Tony asked, making room for his baby girl as she sat down, resting into her mom's chest. She shrugged, nestling in. "You guys must be stressed. How's Uncle Clint? I heard about what happened to him? Will he be okay?" Daisy asked, concerned. Clint had been the one to teach her to jack a car and how to pick locks, as well as fight boxer style and learn ASL. Natasha ran a hand through her daughter's hair, thinking of all the family get-togethers they'd had, suddenly incredibly glad they'd called Tony in with the Project Insight incident, as he'd managed to clear all SHIELD agent data and exposed only HYDRA's secrets, while she would've exposed everyone, and that would've meant Daisy too, let alone Clint.

The news played in the background, when an alert played on screen. An attack was happening on 49th and Broadway, and some sort of extraterrestrial energy was being used. "And it seems like the attackers are wrecking vehicles and robbing shops in the area. The police have cordoned off the area, but the terrorists seem to be out of control. What we need to ask, is who are these people, and what are their powers?" the TV flickered off, drawing attention to Luke, Jessica and Tandy standing in the door. Tandy gaped at the screen in shock, while Jessica's fists were balled. Luke simply looked dead inside, sighing. "Well, shit. Can we go a week without a major disaster?" He griped. Tandy screamed in frustration. "One. One day, please! And also!" She stalked forward, gesturing to the TV as it turned on again, pausing it at an explosion. "What the fuck! Look at that!" 

Daisy got up, examining the picture closer. Tendrils of black and white blew outwards from the explosion, almost like.. "Darkhold and Lighthold energy. Who the fuck can do that? I thought there was only me, Ty and Robbie, so who the fuck is harnessing extradimensional energy that we have control over? I thought we were meant to feel this, and yet I have felt absolutely nothing in regards to this!" Tandy wailed, panicked as she sat on the nearest seat, her head in her hands as Daisy kneeled by her to comfort her. "Hey, hey. You can't control everything in an entire dimension. There are bits out of your control, but after D'Shayne, you took matters into your own hands and became the guardians of your dimensions, but you don't bear all the weight. Believe me, I know."

Jessica hummed, stepping up as she looked at the nexus of the explosion. "I don't know, it reminds me more of Terrigen. Do you think this is Terrigen energy instead of Darkhold and Lighthold energy?" Daisy raised an eyebrow, eyes darting around the picture. "No. It would affect the baselines, and look they're all fine. It has to be. Someone meddled with it, and now New York's paying the price."

Daredevil stepped out of the shadows, arms crossed as he approached. His stern demeanour was unlike anything Skye's seen yet, a strange new determination filling out his figure. "Look at those symbols, on the armbands." He pointed out. "It's the two dragons. Whoever this is, they know their mythology, and whoever it is, they're powerful. They're the Yin and Yang dragons, balance and evil. Nothing much scares me, but this does."

They had to let that sink in for a moment. If even the Devil of Hell's Kitchen was scared of this, this was a big fucking deal. Tandy shot up. "I'm gonna go get Ty. No doubt he's seen this and is punishing himself over this same as I am. Get Castle on the line, we have to cut these bastards at the roots." She stormed out, leaving a stunned group of people staring after her. Jessica smirked, bumping off the doorframe. "She's right. Asses in gear you two, and let's go."


	9. Finale

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Life goes on.

_Six Months Later_

"Hey Barnes!" Dare you to keep up!" Clint jeered as his new robotic legs propelled him faster. The archer had gotten into the best shape he'd ever been. He missed his old legs, but the new cybernetics and Tony and Laura's never-ending support, as well as assistance from Bucky had him better than ever.

"Oh yeah Birdboy? You know Sam can fly right? You're still the secondary bird!" Bucky taunted as they ran alongside each other, Clint scoffing as they legged it around the Compound.

"Hey, Sam doesn't have kids! I don't mind being the secondary Bird! I'm only here in case things go to shit again!" Clint started gasping around the two mile checkpoint, slowing down to sit near the garage entrance.

Bucky joined him. "You know, I'm thankful for Tony. Steve, he- he's not in the right mindset. Shuri says that the ice gave him brain damage. He'll be going through three surgeries and a year of therapy to try and correct it. I'm gonna be there for him, but I won't enable him. He has to fix this obsession. He used to be a good guy, righteous, got into fights where he got his ass kicked, but the propaganda got to him. He'll be set straight."

Clint sighed, taking a swig of his water bottle. "Yeah, Steve liked to blow his own horn sometimes. Just don't do anything you don't agree with, and watch out for yourself."

Bucky got up, wiping his hands down his pants. "Yeah. See you round, Clint."

"See you round."

* * *

Tony sat with Daisy and Peter as they worked on constructing a new AI for Daisy. "I'm glad you healed up properly Pete. Cap did a number on you." Tony stated as he stared over his monitor intensely.

"Eh, not my first time I got my ass handed to me by a guy from Brooklyn." Peter joked about, flipping a spanner about in his hands as Daisy head-locked him, ruffling his hair. "Oh yeah little brother? Who was that?" She questioned jokingly, though couldn't hide the concern.

"Kid named Sam. Says he's a descendant of the Nova Corps. Got this really cool spacesuit and powers though. Might wanna look into him Dad." Peter said, Tony humming.

"Lots of Metas are popping up around the globe. We'll investigate them as they come. The mutant community can help with that now that I helped Professor Xavier with Cerebro's programming." Tony murmured. "The Inhuman community's helping too. It's a shame you don't undergo Terrigenesis Dad." Daisy pouted. Tony shook his head, laughing.

"I got my suits, I got FRIDAY, I got your mom, and I got you two. That's all I need." Tony cuddled the two, Peter whining half-heartedly. "Daad!"   
  


* * *

"Good job." Stephen complimented Nico as she cast a protection rune around a village of Skrulls, infusing her own Wiccan sigils into the framing as she used her dirt circle to cast a bubble around the thankful community.

"Just doing what I can to help, sir." Nico shrugged nonchalantly, looking over her work. "I never get tired of you doing that." Karolina stated proudly, kissing her girlfriend's forehead softly, resting her chin on Niko's head. The shorter girl giggled. "It's not that hard when I already practice Wicca." Nico didn't think it was much to be proud of, it was just something good.

"No, that's a master level protection bubble. You're a prodigy. It might come from the power you draw from the Dark Dimension infused into your magic, nullifying it. Wong's very interested in that by the way." Stephen informed. Nico hummed in agreement. "The Dark Dimension should only be used when there's no other choice though. You and Zarathos advised me on that."   
  


"Yes, we did. Follow that teaching."

"Yes, Dad." Nico stated jokingly, Stephen going red and choking a little. Karolina thumped him on the back. "You realise Christine already has the adoption papers, right?" She whispered in his ear. Stephen went stock still for a moment, before relaxing, smiling proudly at _his daughter.  
  
_

* * *

Tandy and Ty looked over the wreckage with Michelle, Jessica and the rest of the Defenders. "This is bad." Ty was nervous. This was both of the Divine Couple's energies, and they'd felt no shifts in their dimensions. "No kidding. The guy was completely black and white, like old 70s cartoon black and white." Tandy muttered, gazing at the massive rip in the road anxiously.

"Who-ever this is, they're powerful. If this is a new meta human, we need **everyone** because this guy is very very dangerous." Jessica growled.

* * *

The man stood, watching the wreckage of the latest planet. "So, the Avengers have split. They'll be weak." His purple skin glinted in the fiery ashes. "The Stones will be mine, and they'll never see me coming,"


End file.
